Which brand makes the best quality loudspeakers?

[mdinno]

What about Chane speakers??

 

[marticus]

This would really look out of place in my home. Not sure it's practical.

The fact that your thought process got all the way to how it would fit with your decor is laudable

 

[Thomas Ward]

I vote Paradigm, simply because at the under 3K pricepoint, B&W and Revel simply use Chinese contractor speakers, where Paradigm Designs AND Builds most of their speakers in Canada.

 

[mdinno]

NHT and Ascend Acoustics.

 

[ParleyW]

We'd like to get your opinion on who you feel makes the best built and best sounding loudspeakers in consumer audio. Your opinion should be based primarily on sound quality followed by build quality and durability. This choice should be based on the overall product line of a particular company and not just one or two products that may excel.

If you find a particular brand on this list lacking, please indicate why.

Give us reasons why you chose a particular brand or why you feel that particular brand shines above the others on this list. If your brand isn't listed here (sorry only 10 polling options allowed), please post the brand name in the thread along with your experiences.

I’ve owned dozens and dozens of speaker models from JBL, KEF, Hafler, Mission, Infinity, DefTech. All had their positives and weaknesses. My first RBH was a very old 816. It was a great speaker. I went next
To the MC series, then moved into the SX & SV Reference. Their sound is very clean, very flat with tremendous dynamic range. They do everything well, and their staff rocks at assisting you in updating (moves from Scan Speak to AMT). Their cabinets are built incredibly strong and heavy. I’ll never part with my SX-T2/R.

 

[Danzilla31]

I’ve owned dozens and dozens of speaker models from JBL, KEF, Hafler, Mission, Infinity, DefTech. All had their positives and weaknesses. My first RBH was a very old 816. It was a great speaker. I went next
To the MC series, then moved into the SX & SV Reference. Their sound is very clean, very flat with tremendous dynamic range. They do everything well, and their staff rocks at assisting you in updating (moves from Scan Speak to AMT). Their cabinets are built incredibly strong and heavy. I’ll never part with my SX-T2/R.

I know! I love my RBH my SV-831R are going to be buried with me someday!

 

[Danzilla31]

I had to put my vote on RBH there SV-831R and SV-661W are some of the best I've ever heard and I heard and owned and auditioned and listened to a lot before these.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I’ve owned dozens and dozens of speaker models from JBL, KEF, Hafler, Mission, Infinity, DefTech. All had their positives and weaknesses. My first RBH was a very old 816. It was a great speaker. I went next
To the MC series, then moved into the SX & SV Reference. Their sound is very clean, very flat with tremendous dynamic range. They do everything well, and their staff rocks at assisting you in updating (moves from Scan Speak to AMT). Their cabinets are built incredibly strong and heavy. I’ll never part with my SX-T2/R.

Yeah, my main HT room has the SX-T2/R x 5 towers.

 

[DellRay]

Strange they (RBH) have some very affordable (for a $50 - $60k/yr construction worker) options and then they have some that I couldn't afford on 5x my pay lol. I'm a Klipsch reference series guy due to income/cost of living... There are some other affordable options from JBL and a few others but I like the Klipsch sound and looks and the fact that they are consistent, so I stick with what I know. I have a pair of JBL Venue Stadiums that I love and then I have a pair of JBL Studio 570s that are for sale. Nice tweeters, 0 bass. I'm a bass head. Too much tweeter hurts my ears, actually... They were recommended to replace my Jamo S-809s and I wish I'd kept the Jamos. Those are all just try outs in my bedroom. My main room is all Klipsch reference
Pair of R-26F (on the way est. Wed 3/2), pair of R-610F, pair of R-41M, R-52C, & 2x R-12SW on Onkyo TX-NR6050.

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[Replicant 7]

Strange they (RBH) have some very affordable (for a $50 - $60k/yr construction worker) options and then they have some that I couldn't afford on 5x my pay lol. I'm a Klipsch reference series guy due to income/cost of living... There are some other affordable options from JBL and a few others but I like the Klipsch sound and looks and the fact that they are consistent, so I stick with what I know. I have a pair of JBL Venue Stadiums that I love and then I have a pair of JBL Studio 570s that are for sale. Nice tweeters, 0 bass. I'm a bass head. Too much tweeter hurts my ears, actually... They were recommended to replace my Jamo S-809s and I wish I'd kept the Jamos. Those are all just try outs in my bedroom. My main room is all Klipsch reference
Pair of R-26F (on the way est. Wed 3/2), pair of R-610F, pair of R-41M, R-52C, & 2x R-12SW on Onkyo TX-NR6050.

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Well, having a trusted dealer that can get you a great deal on RBH helps a lot.

 

[Old Onkyo]

I had to put my vote on RBH there SV-831R and SV-661W are some of the best I've ever heard and I heard and owned and auditioned and listened to a lot before these.

That’s high praise!

 

[Replicant 7]

I had to put my vote on RBH there SV-831R and SV-661W are some of the best I've ever heard and I heard and owned and auditioned and listened to a lot before these.

Yeah, I do miss my RBH Elite towers.

 

[Pogre]

That’s high praise!

I got my sights set on a pair of those. I gotta squint reeeally hard to see them right now tho. Pretty far off any kinda budget I can scrape together, but a pair of SVTR towers could definitely be some endgame speakers for me.

 

[Replicant 7]

I got my sights set on a pair of those. I gotta squint reeeally hard to see them right now tho. Pretty far off any kinda budget I can scrape together, but a pair of SVTR towers could definitely be some endgame speakers for me.

Really! You got a killer setup bro.

 

[Pogre]

Really! You got a killer setup bro.

Just pie in the sky. I'm not actively working toward them or anything. I'm really happy with what I have. If my long lost uncle leaves me his fortune or something they'd be on my short list tho.

 

[DellRay]

Well, having a trusted dealer that can get you a great deal on RBH helps a lot.

Yeah, I probably have no business in here as I haven't had any experience with speakers that cost over a grand a pair. The only ones that are close being the JBL studio 570s I have that I have for sale locally because I have no use for them. They retail at $599 each, although I didn't pay anywhere near that for them.
I had a pair of JBL 15" 3 way big stereo floor standers way back in the day that cost someone $1500 each but they took my car without my knowledge and got in a crash with it. They couldn't afford the car repairs so I got the speakers and a Sherwood stereo receiver that got me in a lot of trouble with the neighbors, landlord, and cops. I ended up selling them back to the dude that crashed my car and going back to my Realistic receiver and 8" Fisher 2 ways.
Anyway, I just wanted to check out those speakers because I saw the post and was curious as I hadn't heard of the brand before. Then of course I had to stick my poor guy 2 cents in there cuz that's just a compulsion I have. I'd like to hear some but they aren't physically appealing to me so I guess I'm better off not.
I tend not to like buying things I think are ugly even if they preform better than something I find nice to look at. This seems to be the case with most things I can't afford so I guess it's a good thing for my eyes that I'm not well off or I'd probably have a bunch of over priced ugly stuff. Peace...

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[Danzilla31]

That’s high praise!

Last night I had friends over for movies. We watched The Accountant with Ben Affleck. There is a scene in that movie where someone is firing with a sniper rifle into a building. I shoot on the range with my friends all the time. Those guns have a very distinctive sound

The initial bang with the followup pressurized sound as you ratchet the chamber and then the ching sound as the casing is ejected. That RBH system replicated that perfectly the most accurate I've ever heard it.

And the dynamics it felt like I was getting kicked through my chest. On top of this as he was shooting into different spots of the building it would come from that direction. It was 5 to 7 shots and it felt like my room was getting shot up in different spots as he adjusted his aim and aimed at different spots. From the right then from the left then from the side then from the back

I have seen that movie several times on many different systems I've owned. It literally felt like a live round an actual real time event where someone had just shot up my room

And I've never had it reproduced so authentically and at those dynamics ever. It felt like being shot at like someone just shot up my room

And music OMG it's never sounded so good

I'm going to marry these speakers I swear

 

[Replicant 7]

Yeah, I probably have no business in here as I haven't had any experience with speakers that cost over a grand a pair. The only ones that are close being the JBL studio 570s I have that I have for sale locally because I have no use for them. They retail at $599 each, although I didn't pay anywhere near that for them.
I had a pair of JBL 15" 3 way big stereo floor standers way back in the day that cost someone $1500 each but they took my car without my knowledge and got in a crash with it. They couldn't afford the car repairs so I got the speakers and a Sherwood stereo receiver that got me in a lot of trouble with the neighbors, landlord, and cops. I ended up selling them back to the dude that crashed my car and going back to my Realistic receiver and 8" Fisher 2 ways.
Anyway, I just wanted to check out those speakers because I saw the post and was curious as I hadn't heard of the brand before. Then of course I had to stick my poor guy 2 cents in there cuz that's just a compulsion I have. I'd like to hear some but they aren't physically appealing to me so I guess I'm better off not.
I tend not to like buying things I think are ugly even if they preform better than something I find nice to look at. This seems to be the case with most things I can't afford so I guess it's a good thing for my eyes that I'm not well off or I'd probably have a bunch of over priced ugly stuff. Peace...

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I had many Realistic receivers back in the 70's and 80's. Wasn't anything else in the small town I lived in. RBH are a pricey brand though. But I know of a dealer who can get them. Plus other brands. But yeah there are AH members who's front L/R speakers cost more than my whole setup and I have over 3k tied up on mine.

 

[Danzilla31]

Yeah, I probably have no business in here as I haven't had any experience with speakers that cost over a grand a pair. The only ones that are close being the JBL studio 570s I have that I have for sale locally because I have no use for them. They retail at $599 each, although I didn't pay anywhere near that for them.
I had a pair of JBL 15" 3 way big stereo floor standers way back in the day that cost someone $1500 each but they took my car without my knowledge and got in a crash with it. They couldn't afford the car repairs so I got the speakers and a Sherwood stereo receiver that got me in a lot of trouble with the neighbors, landlord, and cops. I ended up selling them back to the dude that crashed my car and going back to my Realistic receiver and 8" Fisher 2 ways.
Anyway, I just wanted to check out those speakers because I saw the post and was curious as I hadn't heard of the brand before. Then of course I had to stick my poor guy 2 cents in there cuz that's just a compulsion I have. I'd like to hear some but they aren't physically appealing to me so I guess I'm better off not.
I tend not to like buying things I think are ugly even if they preform better than something I find nice to look at. This seems to be the case with most things I can't afford so I guess it's a good thing for my eyes that I'm not well off or I'd probably have a bunch of over priced ugly stuff. Peace...

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You absolutely have a right to be on here. This is a hobby where we want to welcome everyone. Your system at your level is just as important as mine or anyone else's. And this place can help you learn how you squeeze the best performance ought of what you got.

Also many of us started ought just like you. And we loved our systems we had that we started with just like we love our new ones. If we didn't we never would have kept going. It took me my whole life to save and afford my dream speakers. And thanks to a great dealer who did help me (a lot of dealers can help a serious buyer go below the MSRP on a lot of products that dream was made possible.)

So hang out welcome to the club we look forward to talking audio with you!

P.S. I owned Klipsch at one time and liked that system very very much

 

[Pogre]

P.S. I owned Klipsch at one time and liked that system very very much

You also owned the JBL 5 series speakers and those are very good as well!